Thursday, April 23, 2015

EU leaders pledge naval ships, more funds to fight migration crisis

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In an emergency meeting on Europe's migration crisis EU leaders have pledged to send military ships to help with search and rescue, and launch missions to destroy boats used by traffickers in North Africa. 

The European Union has also agreed to triple funding to its Mediterranean search and rescue program, Triton, to stop a rising death toll of more than 1700 lives lost already this year....

Our Europe correspondent Sandra Gathmann reports. 

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Amid calls from protesters urging Europe to react to a worsening migration crisis and loss of life in the mediterranean - European Union leaders met for emergency talks — prompted by last weekend's tragedy which saw more than 800 migrants drown after their boat capsized near Libya.

A fresh approach to stemming the flow of migrants will see the EU use military means to crack down on smuggling rings and illegal traffickers in North Africa, with a focus on capturing and destroying their boats…

European Council president Donald Tusk- 

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EU countries have also pledged to send ship to the mediterranean to help with rescue efforts…. Germany will send three vessels, the UK will send three ships and three helicopters, and Belgium and Ireland will contribute too.

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But protesters marching with wooden coffins outside the meeting said the new help will be but a drop in the ocean after more than 1750 deaths already this year, and more likely to come… Amnesty International's Iverna McGowan

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One of the remaining taboos is how to resettle thousands of rescued migrants…Following calls from Italy and Greece for a more even distribution of asylum seekers  - a pilot project will offer refugees outside of Europe 5000 places anywhere in the EU. 

But the idea's already been shot down by the UK's Prime Minister David Cameron who wants to leave Britain out of the scheme.

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EU officials have repeatedly said there's no silver bullet solutions to Europe's migration problem, and Thursday's military operation proposal may even run into resistance from the United Nation's security council…. meanwhile summer is approaching fast and thousands more are set to risk their lives trying to reach Europe.  Sign off. 


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